Timely action by firefighters: Police stop car fire before it becomes tragic

Lina Portman3 weeks ago

0 2 minutes read

A crisis was averted during a car fire in West Des Moines Tuesday, thanks to quick action by emergency responders and “good timing.” West Des Moines Police Sgt. Adam Porath said Tuesday afternoon that Officer Rob Weir was on patrol when he noticed a smoke-filled car stuck on the road on Railroad Avenue, just before the intersection of Grande Avenue. While he was checking on the driver, the car burst into flames and Weir began evacuating the person inside. Weir also made the key decision to remove one of the driver's personal items, two oxygen canisters in the passenger seat. At the same time, a West Des Moines fire crew arrived at the scene. They turned the fire truck around and went back to help. Despite being briefly present on the scene, the flames progressed quickly, completely engulfing the engine once the firefighters opened the hood, despite the rapid intervention. The fire was extinguished shortly after and no one was injured. But West Des Moines Fire Commissioner Mike Whitsell said the risk of a much more tragic situation is present. Had crews arrived later, the rapid growth of the fire, combined with the presence of the oxygen tanks, which exploded under excessive heat, could have seriously injured or even killed the driver. with those oxygen tanks, the outcome would have been completely different,” Whitsell said. “Public safety performed as it was supposed to.” » Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google PlayGet the latest titles from KCCI

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa —

A crisis was averted during a car fire in West Des Moines Tuesday, thanks to the quick action of emergency responders and “good timing.”

West Des Moines Police Sgt. Adam Porath said Tuesday afternoon that Officer Rob Weir was on patrol when he noticed a smoke-filled car stuck on the road on Railroad Avenue, just before the intersection of Grande Avenue. While he was checking on the driver, the car burst into flames and Weir began evacuating the person inside.

Weir also made the key decision to remove one of the driver's personal items, two oxygen canisters in the passenger seat.

At the same time, a West Des Moines fire crew arrived at the scene. They turned the fire truck around and went back to help. Despite being briefly present on the scene, the flames progressed quickly, completely engulfing the engine once the firefighters opened the hood, despite the rapid intervention.

The fire was extinguished shortly after and no one was injured. But West Des Moines Fire Commissioner Mike Whitsell said the risk of a much more tragic situation is present. If crews arrived later, the rapid growth of the fire, combined with the presence of the oxygen tanks, which exploded under excessive heat, could have seriously injured or even killed the driver.

“If this fire had reached those oxygen cylinders, the outcome would have been completely different,” Whitsell said. “Public safety functioned as it was supposed to.”

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